Why Rohingya refugees still can't return to Myanmar
Nine years after the Rohingya were driven from Myanmar, most fleeing to Bangladesh, repatriation is back in focus. But violence in Rakhine state remains.
Myanmar's military-backed government has recently expressed interest in repatriating Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh, but analysts argue that large-scale, safe resettlement is now more improbable than ever. Myanmar is currently embroiled in civil war, the military no longer controls most of Rakhine State, and Rohingya are denied citizenship.
In August 2017, the military launched operations in northern Rakhine after alleged attacks by the ARSA militant group on security posts, resulting in the displacement of over 750,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh. Of the 820,000 names submitted by Bangladesh, Myanmar has verified around 308,000 as former residents, but they will not repatriate them until security conditions improve.
However, experts believe that the present circumstances render the return process highly risky. The military-ruled government has not offered Rohingya citizenship, and many Rohingya villages have been destroyed or taken over by other communities. The situation in Bangladesh's Rohingya camps is becoming increasingly precarious due to funding shortages, insecurity, and lack of opportunities, leading to a surge in dangerous sea crossings, gang violence, child marriage, child labor, and school dropouts.
Written by urgent.news from DW English (Top Stories)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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